Thrift Store Shopping!

I've always loved a good bargain ... and I've always loved taking something old and making it new. When I was a little kid I used to love reading The Boxcar Children. They would go to the dump and rummage through old stuff ... and they always found something worthwhile! While in college I would go to Goodwill and Christian Help (local thrift stores out West) for furniture, clothes, kitchen items, etc. It saved me tons of money, I still looked fashionable (you won't believe what people give away), and I was reducing my carbon footprint. Instead of paying $70 for a pair of shoes, I might pay $10.

Now that we've started a family (and especially since K is attending school part-time and I am staying home with Little Bear), shopping smart is more important than ever. Luckily, baby consignment stores are growing in number. There are two in our town - and many more in most larger cities. Here's what I love about baby consignment stores: almost everything they sell is brand new. Why? Two reasons, mainly: 1) because babies grow so darned fast that they only get to wear an outfit several times before they are too big for it! and 2) everyone loves to buy gifts for a new baby ... and items are often duplicated, unnecessary, or simply not something the parents will use.

Here are a few practically new items we've bought at consignments shops at less than half the retail value: Kelty Baby Backpack (tags still attached!), Ergo Baby Carrier Infant Insert (for our next baby ... someday), Robeez baby shoes, baby seat, BabyLegs, and a brand new leather/lambs wool snow jumper from Macy's! Here are items I've seen but haven't bought: jogging strollers, bassinets, co-sleepers, Ergo Baby Carriers, baby tubs, exersaucers, Baby Einstein DVDs, highchairs, brand new bottles and pacifiers, cloth diapers and diaper covers ... the list goes on and on and on.

Just yesterday I found a brand new Ergo Baby Carrier in the box for less than $60. They retail for around $120 on Amazon.com. Of course the trick with consignment shops is you never know what they are going to have - or when they are going to get something new. So just popping in every now and then is a must. Every once in a while a store will take your name down if you are looking for a certain item. K and I did this for the Baby Kelty Backpack. We lucked out and they called us 2 days later (which they admitted was highly unusual ... but it's worth a try).

In Little Bear's first 7 months of life, I've probably saved $300 from shopping at consignment stores. Also, I have a whole box of unused or barely used items I will be taking in next month to sell/trade-in - another benefit to consignment shopping. By trading in items that you no longer are using, you can usually get either cash - or credit at the store.

And for those of you that don't have a little one yet but just got invited to your 3rd baby shower this year ... I recommend making a trip to the consignment store! You'll save yourself a ton of money, and no-one even has to know (unless of course you are like me and like to brag about these sorts of things!).

The Ergo Baby Carrier

Ego? Erg ... Ergo? Yes, Ergo. If you haven't become a parent yet, you may not be familiar with the word yet. If you are a parent, you more than likely 1) have heard the name before, or 2) own one. What exactly does "ergo" mean? It is the Greek word for "work" ... as in "ergonomics." And that's what this baby carrier does ... it works for you, so that carrying your baby can be done effortlessly and easily, by the hours!

The Ergo Baby Carrier was developed in 2001 by Karin Frost, and began being marketed in 2003. The company is owned and operated out of Maui, Hawaii, and all the baby carriers are made according to Fair Labor Practices in China and India. You can read more about Fair Labor Practices used by Ergo Baby Carrier here.

So why do I love the Ergo so much? I started using it with Little Bear when she was only several weeks old. Special infant inserts are made to fit inside the Ergo to make carrying very small babies easy and safe. I did not have one (I didn't even hear about them until Little Bear was too big to need one), but instead gently positioned her against my chest with her feet sticking down through the belt. It worked, but I would definitely invest the $25 for an insert with our next child. The Ergo Baby Carrier company states that inserts are needed for children weighing less than 12 pounds - and I would agree. Chest-to-chest, Little Bear could hear the beating of her mommy's (and daddy's) heart, feel the sway of us as we walked about, and be rocked gently to sleep. Because I walked so much during my pregnancy with Little Bear, I think she found the rocking motion of walking especially soothing. It also freed my hands. This was a miracle for me, since I had not had both hands free for several weeks. Suddenly, I could chop vegetables, fold laundry, sweep the floor, type on the computer ... all while cuddling my baby.

The Ergo make trips to the grocery store 100% easier. Because we do not have a detachable car seat (I knew I wanted to carry Little Bear as much as possible, and felt I would be tempted to use the car seat too much if it came out easily), I use the Ergo whenever we are at a store. With a simple snap of the belt around the waist, a quick positioning of Little Bear, and a snap behind the back - I am free to grocery shop away with two free hands. Everyone loves seeing Little Bear in her Ergo, too. From elderly men to young women to the middle-aged checkout lady, everyone agrees that Little Bear looks like one comfy, happy baby.

Because Little Bear is still small (6 months old and about 16 pounds), we mainly use the Ergo to carry her in the front position. However, the Ergo is designed so that it can quickly be adjusted to a side-carry position, as well as a back carry (piggy-back) position. As babies grow older and bigger, the piggy-back position is obviously more practical and comfortable. I have friends who still use their Ergo with their 3 1/2 year old daughter (the directions state that the Ergo can safely be used to carry up to a 45 pound child).

The Ergo Baby Carrier can be found in regular and organic cotton, and is now offered in a variety of great colors. It can easily be thrown in the wash, as well. I highly recommend the Ergo and often suggest it to people that are looking for a baby gift to buy a friend or relative. We use ours constantly and love the intimacy, closeness, and practicality it offers us as parents.

** Please note that in the photo above, we are not using the Ergo as intended. It is not designed for chest front-facing positioning.